With Moog's Minotaur, you don't have to traverse a labyrinth to create analog bass sounds of mythical proportions. Part of the Taurus family of Moog instruments, this compact analog bass synthesizer provides you with all the growl, snarl and low end its siblings are known for in an uncomplicated one knob per function format. Whether you're using it as part of your live rig or as extra weapon in your studio arsenal, the Minotaur, unlike it's legendary namesake, has a small footprint, measuring a mere 8.5" x 5.25".

This rugged synthesizer features two oscillators with Sawtooth and Square wave-shapes for each VCO so you can recreate the sounds of the original Taurus, create new sounds with square waves or do a combination of both. There is also a Moog Ladder Filter with adjustable resonance for old-school bass with impact, 2 Minimoog-style ASDSR Envelope Generators for VCF and VCA, MIDI-syncable LFO with control for Rate, VCO LFO and VCF LFO amount. It also comes with DIN MIDI and MIDI over USB for even more control options, as well as external audio input so you can process your own external audio through it's mixer and filters for even crazier bass combinations.

FEATURES

One knob per function interface for tweaking and creating new sounds on-the-fly

Two oscillators with Sawtooth (Original Taurus) and Square wave-shapes for each VCO

Recreate sounds of the original Taurus with sawtooth waves, or create new sounds with square waves, or combination of both

VCF Cutoff: Sets the Cutoff Frequency of the 4-pole Moog Lowpass VCF from 20Hz to 20KHz

VCF Resonance: Sets the gain for the amount of signal from the output of the VCF fed back to the input of the VCF, creating a peak in frequency response at the Cutoff Frequency that can be increased all the way to self-oscillation

VCF EG Amount: Bi-polar control sets the (+) or (-) amount of Envelope Generator modulation of the VCF and center is no Envelope Generator modulation

LFO Rate: Sets the frequency of the LFO. Range is from 0.01Hz to 100Hz

LFO VCO Amount: Sets the amount that the LFO modulates the VCO

LFO VCF Amount: Sets the amount that the LFO modulates VCF

VCA EG Attack: Sets the attack time of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCA (ranges from 1 msec to 30 sec)

VCA EG Decay/Release: Sets both the decay time to the sustain level and release time of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCA (ranges from 1 msec to 30 sec) and Release segment of the EG is enabled by the Release On/Off switch

VCA EG Sustain: Sets the sustain level of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCA

VCF EG Attack: Sets the attack Time of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCF (ranges from 1 msec to 30 sec)

VCF EG Decay/Release: Sets both the decay time to the sustain level and release time of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCF (ranges from 1 msec to 30 sec) and Release segment of the EG is enabled by the Release On/Off switch

VCF EG Sustain: Sets the sustain level of a Minimoog-Style ADSR Envelope Generator used to modulate the VCF

Before I begin with the review proper, let's get one thing out of the way: those who say that analog is overhyped / over-priced (a) have never actually played one and (b) are the perfect candidates / converts / victims to try this device. With that out of the way:

My 90's rig was a Juno 6 and a Liberation; my current stage rig is a Jupiter 80 and a Minimoog Voyager, Electric Blue edition; my current "hotel rig" is a Gaia and the Minitaur. So I have plenty of experience with the Moog sound and the Minitaur is an equal among the others. Additionally, I would like to point out that I mainly use the Minitaur triggered from bass pedals for maximum prog, but also use it as bass synth (for recordings) to free up the Voyager for leads.

Let's put all the weirdness on the table straight away: in some regards, the layout of the front panel is more like a Taurus II, but the sound IMHO is closer to a Taurus I; unlike any Taurus, oscillators can produce square waves; it has a patch memory of 100 presets, which is not immediately obvious by looking at the front panel. These are most easily accessed via USB by the patch editor which is available for PC / mac download, OR using front panel buttons which are analogous to Shift / Control keys on your computer keyboard. I mention this specifically because it has four-stage envelopes, but only three knobs per envelope - release is accessed using the "shift" button + decay knob; Moog = monophonic, for those unaware; finally, it only responds to MIDI notes 0-74, which clearly puts it in the bass range. Now that we've gotten all that out of the way....

It is 100% Moog. Ballsy, mildly uncontrollable, punchy, thick, utterly bad@ss and nothing else in the world sounds like it. It is an incredible representation of the Moog philosophy / sound at a price point that most semi-pro musicians can afford. It will only do bass. But your friends will wonder why their bass doesn't sound like yours.

Some observations, neither good nor bad: The addition of the square waves - absent from the earlier Taurus line - offers a lot more flexibility in creating the basic sound; the VCO frequency of oscillator 1 is solely determined by the MIDI note you input, which is to say that you cannot set the range of osc 1. But you can set the relative range of osc 2 against it, +/-1 octave; like the Minimoog, external sounds can be processed through the VCF and VCA *or* the output can be fed back to the input for overdriven sounds; the LFO only produces triangle waves BUT the Control Voltage inputs for pitch, filter and / or volume can accepts signals from, say, a Minimoog, the Moogerfoogers, a CP-251, and so on. I haven't experimented with any of these; I am merely mentioning possibilities. And it responds to MIDI control changes.

Final analysis: yes, it is unfortunate that is limited exclusively to the bass range, as the original Taurus line was not; yes, its "analogness" has shortcomings for those who aren't used to this sort of thing. But for 97% of your bass applications, you will not find anything more earth-rattling than this unassuming-looking little box - except maybe a sine wave generator...which the Minitaur becomes once you crank the filter resonance towards 11 ;)

oh, and be sure to order the wood side panels from the Moog website. Adds no new functionality, but looks incredibly cool!

This little piece of gear is every bit a Moog. Comparing it to my Slim Phatty, the Minitaur has an amazingly stable bass output. This is probably why the circuitry allows only up to a certain frequency in the upper range. I do not find the limit to be a hinderance since I mainly bought this unit for bass but it is also plenty capable of producing mid-range classic Moog sounds (thanks to the filter). It is, however, usually the lows that get me a bit teary-eyed. Knob per function design makes this unit a joy to play but the under the hood settings are also very useful (especially note-sync, which Moog seems to be integrating into their new products as well). I got this on a discount and the plan was to sell it when I saved enough for the Sub Phatty, but I am now pretty sure that I won't part ways with this little beast since it turned out to be so unique in what it does. My unit tended to act out a couple of times when I first got it (e.g. knobs stopped responding, certain envelope changes caused unrelated sonic outputs), however these turned out to be firmware issues and they were all resolved upon upgrading to the latest beta. Spent many hours shaking my walls without problems ever since.

This is a great synth. It would be good as a first piece or an add on to any studio. The sounds are vast and amazing. It is extremely fun to play. Build quality is top notch. The possibilities are endless within this synth. Add some effects, especially the Moogerfooger line and you have sounds that are out of this galaxy. I sequence this with an iPad. The Minituar forces you to realize how good real analog is.

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